Land Pollution Research Paper

Regulation of Land Pollution in Mafikeng Municipality

Chapter 1

1.1 Introduction

Land pollution is originally known as a deposition of solid or liquid waste materials on land or underground in a manner that can contaminate the soil and groundwater, threaten public health, and cause unsightly conditions and nuisances. This study will discuss regulation of land pollution particularly in Mafikeng Municipality. The nature and causes of land pollution will be discussed. The study will discuss the problem statement, then later the conclusion and recommend solutions with regard to land pollution. Legislation and bylaws regarding land pollution will be discussed together with case law regulating land pollution in South African. The study will

Anthropogenic activities are conducted citing development, and the same affects the land drastically, they witness land pollution; by drastic they are referring to any activity that lessens the quality and/or productivity of the land as an ideal place for agriculture, forestation, construction etc. The degradation of land that could be used constructively in other words is land pollution.

Land pollution is caused by harmful pollutants that contaminate land. Contaminating land can be done in different ways such as: polluting ground water which causes illness to people leaving around the area, and using polluted water. Land pollution is localised and its effects on living beings residing near the area are drastic.

The most central or sources which play a major role in land pollution are municipal solid waste, industrial waste, biomedical waste, agrochemical pollutants, micro-, and macro pollutant, etc.

Land pollution has led to different issues that have come to realize in recent times, after decades of neglect. The increasing numbers of barren land, plots and the decreasing numbers of forests cover is at an alarming ratio. Moreover the extension of cities and towns due to increasing population is leading to further exploitation of the

Soil pollutants have an adverse effect on the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil and reduce its productivity. Pesticides, fertilizers, organic manure, chemicals, radioactive wastes, discarded food, clothes, leather goods, plastics, paper, bottles, tins-cans and carcasses- all contribute towards causing soil pollution. Metals like iron are present in industrial wastes and reach the soil either directly with water or indirectly through air. (Example, through acid rain). The improper and continuous use of herbicides, pesticides and fungicides to protect the crops from pests, fungi etc. alter the basic composition of the soils and make the soil toxic for plant growth. Organic insecticides like DDT, aldrin, benzene hex chloride etc. are used against soil borne pests. They accumulate in the soil as they degrade very slowly by soil and water bacteria. Consequently, they have a very deleterious effect on the plant growth stunting their growth and reducing the yield and size of